This invention relates to a system or apparatus and a method for the efficient production of power such as electric power to motivate any type of electric motor or generator.
In the past, cycles using hydrocarbons or other fluid media as the motivating means have included turbines which have been operated by a portion of the fluid in its heated gaseous condition. In this condition, the fluid has been directed against the blades of the turbine and the turbine has been used to operate the various compressors and/or pumps for the conveying and recycling of the fluid. In such a device, the portion of the fluid which is heated to attain high pressure for the purpose of operating the turbine is generally drawn from a condenser or from a liquid receiver, then passed through an evaporator for instance having suitable heating means such as heat exchange coils, and thereafter passed to the turbine used to operate the compressors, pumps, and the like.
It has been found that the known systems described above , although having certain desirable features, may adversely affect the efficiency of the overall cycle. The reason for this is that as the turbine is operated and the portion of the fluid is drawn from the liquid receiver for evaporation in the evaporator and compression in the compressor or pump to operate the turbine, the level of the liquid available in the receiver to feed the evaporator may be reduced to the point where the evaporator is virtually starved. Furthermore, the constant drain from the receiver of the portion of the liquid to operate the turbine seriously reduces the pressure of the remaining liquid and causes undesired fluctuation of the operation of the turbine.
Certain typical patents of the prior art, which include the afore-described prior art proposals, are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,726,462; 3,172,270; 3,315,466; 3,339,663; 3,479,817; 3,495,402; 3,511,049; and 3,636,706.
Other patents of the prior art which provide some suggestions for utilizing closed circulatory systems are for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,228,189; 3,990,245; 4,003,344; 4,008,573; 4,031,705; 4,063,420; 4,069,672; 4,087,974; 4,099,489; 4,120,157; and 3,292,366. In fact, U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,157 includes a vapor engine driven by the gases of a refrigerant system.
However, such systems are lacking in a two-stage fully balanced system in which the medium is introduced in liquid form; is thereafter multi-linearly directed in both liquid and gaseous form; and the work portion is converted completely into a gaseous form as the ultimate driving medium without waste or loss of the driving medium itself.
There is also lacking in the prior art a dual purpose receiver used for both the reservoir storage as well as the circulation and recirculation functioning of the driven medium.
It is most essential to provide a system which will operate continuously without fluctuation and provide enough fluid uniformly throughout the system and in the appropriate liquid and gas form, as the case may be, to avoid any possible starvation of any or all of the necessary functioning parts.
It is, therefore, among the objects and advantages of the present invention to provide a system or apparatus and a method wherein the demands upon the receiver are not interfered with and an increased efficiency of compression and turbine operation are achieved in a continuously recycling operation and in which there is virtually no loss whatsoever of the driving medium from the closed fluid flow system.
It is among the further objects and advantages of the present invention to provide a combined stage system or apparatus and corresponding method for the efficient operation of a power generating device such as can be used for any drive purposes, for example to provide replenishment of a battery or the like without waste of the driving medium.
It is among the still further objects and advantages of the present invention to provide a system or apparatus and a corresponding method that will recharge the batteries of a vehicle such as a car as it is operating or of a vehicle of any other kind as it is in motion without waste of the driving medium.
The energy provided by means affixed to a prime mover operated by the system or method such as a shaft of a turbine may be used to actuate ultimately the main drive motor of any means, such as by use of electric means to which any kind of drive may be coupled, for example by coupling the turbine to turn an alternator which will in turn recharge a battery for ultimately powering the main drive motor without waste of the driving medium.